The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to turbine engine structures and, more particularly, to materials and designs for improving anti-icing characteristics of such structures.
One common type of aircraft powerplant is a turbofan engine, which includes a turbomachinery core having a high pressure compressor, combustor, and high pressure turbine in serial flow relationship. The core is operable in a known manner to generate a flow of propulsive gas. A low pressure turbine driven by the core exhaust gases drives a fan through a shaft to generate a propulsive bypass flow. The low pressure turbine also drives a low pressure compressor or “booster,” which supercharges the inlet flow to the high pressure compressor.
Certain flight conditions may allow for ice buildup on some leading edges of various engine structures, such as the fan and booster flowpath areas of the engine. One specific leading edge structure of interest may be the engine's booster splitter. The splitter may include a generally annular ring with a leading edge that is positioned aft of the fan blades. It functions to separate the airflow for combustion (via the booster) from the bypass airflow.
Generally, it may be desirable to reduce and/or prevent ice buildup and shed volume from the splitter during icing conditions. This in turn may reduce the risk of compressor stall and compressor mechanical damage due to ingested ice. Some booster splitters may be heated using relatively warm compressor bleed air, which may reduce ice buildup on the splitter nose.
The problem: Anti-ice heating of the booster splitter nose using compressor bleed air may involve competing requirements for booster splitter strength and heat transfer capacity to the booster splitter nose. Further, excessive booster splitter weight and/or consumption of compressor bleed air may adversely affect the engine's efficiency in terms of specific fuel consumption (SFC).